AirframeAS From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 14150 posts, RR: 26 Posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 2250 times:
Whatever happened to Western Pacific? When did the 'die' out? How long did they last? What kind of service was offered on these flights? I know they had 737-300s and their livery had that WP in the front of the aircraft with cowboy logos on the tails. What happened to this company?
A Safe Flight Begins With Quality Maintenance On The Ground.
Type-rated From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 4343 posts, RR: 21 Reply 1, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 2206 times:
WP was a LCC that was based in COS. They only lasted a few years before their financial problems got the best of them. They went into Bankruptcy in October, 1997 and then finally ceased operations on February 4, 1998. There was some speculation that Frontier was interested in purchasing them, but after reveiwing the books, they walked away from it.
Their aircraft had all kinds of advertising on it. My favourite one ws the 737 with the Simpsons on it.
Their service was typcial LCC stuff. Light snacks and beverages.
If you want to see their route map, here is a little "gem" I found:
Aa757first From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3338 posts, RR: 9 Reply 2, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 2170 times:
AirframeAS From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 14150 posts, RR: 26 Reply 3, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 2158 times:
Who has WP's 737s now? Are they all in the desert or are they still flying?
A Safe Flight Begins With Quality Maintenance On The Ground.
Luv2fly From United States of America, joined May 2003, 11957 posts, RR: 51 Reply 4, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 2149 times:
I would guess since they went out in 1998 the planes have since been taken up by other carriers.
FlagshipAZ From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 3419 posts, RR: 15 Reply 5, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 2133 times:
Elwood64151 From United States of America, joined Feb 2002, 2477 posts, RR: 7 Reply 6, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 2120 times:
As I understand it, WP's main problems came after moving to DEN from COS. The low costs of operations at COS were basically all that was keeping them profitable. When they moved to DEN and faced direct competition from F9 and UA, plus the added cost of operations at DEN, they could not sustain their success.
Of course, that's all second-hand information.
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it in summer school.
OPNLguy From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 2082 times:
>>>Who has WP's 737s now? Are they all in the desert or are they still flying?
I can recall where all of them went, but I beleieve 4 or 5 went to Delta, 4 or 5 went Southwest, and a few went to various overseas users. The old Simpsons aircraft was one of the ones that went to Southwest, and it was repainted....
ClipperNo1 From Germany, joined May 1999, 671 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 2006 times:
Didn't they agree to merge with F9 at one time? The merger was later called off due to 'different business philosophies' or something like that. WP went down the drain shortly after that announcement was made.
"I really don't know one plane from the other. To me they are just marginal costs with wings."� Alfred Kahn, 1977
Flashmeister From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 2863 posts, RR: 7 Reply 12, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days ago) and read 1911 times:
The merger with Frontier was indeed called off to incompatible cultures, but that can also be translated to "Frontier saw the books and went running".
WestPac was in serious trouble long before they moved to DEN, as a result of too-quick expansion with too-little foresight. Their move to DEN and their new image was a way to combat that, they hoped, with access to new business travelers. They lasted a few months after that.
My mother was on the last EWR-DEN flight. In fact, they announced that WestPac was bankrupt when they were airborne, and started passing out the booze. It was pandemonium when she got to DEN - no one was there to marshall the plane in, they had to find someone to drive the jetbridge, and her bags took almost 90 minutes.
I heard about it just as I was exiting the NJ Turnpike after leaving her at EWR, near my house at the time in Bordentown, but by that time, her flight was already slated to take off, and according to EWR's info line, it did.
She was supposed to connect DEN-PDX, but that obviously wasn't going to happen, so she spent a couple of days in DEN and ended up going home on UA, who wanted $200 or so in fees and taxes, even though they said they'd honor the ticket.
Elwood64151 From United States of America, joined Feb 2002, 2477 posts, RR: 7 Reply 14, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 1839 times:
"I'm broke...f*ck it. Let's get drunk."
As I understand it, this is kinda' what happened on the last NJ flight, MCI-DEN.
But then, I wasn't there that night. I showed up the next morning for work...
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it in summer school.
7E72004 From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 3585 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 1832 times:
I think if you look in the mojave you will find Western Pacific
The next generation of aircraft is just around the corner!
Donzilasse From United States of America, joined Jun 2004, 237 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 1784 times:
The one which went to VASP now has registration PP-SFJ (cn 24212/1633). To my knowledge it still flies and I saw her about a month ago at Congonhas (CGH).
AirframeAS From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 14150 posts, RR: 26 Reply 17, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 1653 times:
Thanks for all the replys guys. I often wondered what ever happened to them, it seemed to me like they just fell of the radar map without a trace.
Im also glad to see that WP's old planes found new life elsewhere opposed to the ones that are sitting in the desert somewhere.
A Safe Flight Begins With Quality Maintenance On The Ground.
Gigneil From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 16215 posts, RR: 88 Reply 18, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 1629 times:
This is a sad, sad topic. WP was doing quite well at COS, actually. Then Ed Beauvais had a heart attack, and the new jackass decided that competing against UA and F9 at their brand new super expensive home airport was a good idea.
HlywdCatft From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 5321 posts, RR: 7 Reply 19, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 1599 times:
Gigneil, I was gonna say just similar as I was reading down before I read yours.
While Beauvis was in charge, the airline was great. After Beauvis left, some new jackass took over who HATED the logojets. The logojets helped keep prices down because FOX network etc was paying them for the flying billboards, therefore the airline could charge low prices to its pax.
The new guy was a hardnosed conservative (not necessarilly politically, but businesswise) a##ho## businessman who totally changed the format of the airline. He got rid of the lowfare airline and wanted to turn it into a businessman's airline, therefore higher prices for fares.
Of course that didn't work. That chased the low fare people away and I don't think snooty suit wearers would want to fly on a plane with the Simpsons on it because the new guy couldn't repaint the aircraft fast enough. This all happened before the move to DEN... which was a mistake for several reasons too...
Taking on 2 other carriers
losing your hub "monopoly" at COS
COS has actually been an alternate airport for people who live in the south Denver area.
An alternate case I could see like that would be Pan Am mk 3 or Southeastern moving from SFB to MCO and having to battle Southwest and Song on routes.
Travatl From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 2172 posts, RR: 11 Reply 20, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 1569 times:
Is there a copy online anywhere of the "new" westpac livery that came out in 1997, but was never placed on their aircraft? I've got a timetable that shows it (they were getting away from the "logojet"), and always liked...different.
AirframeAS From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 14150 posts, RR: 26 Reply 21, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 1555 times:
I got to ask: Did I strike a nerve with some of you guys on a touchy subject? I hope not. I just wanted to know what happened to WP. I apologize if I upset anyone on this subject. Thanks.
A Safe Flight Begins With Quality Maintenance On The Ground.
Flashmeister From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 2863 posts, RR: 7 Reply 22, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 3 days ago) and read 1487 times:
Beauvais didn't do a stellar job of running WestPac... they were never wildly profitable, and were frequently under the guns of their lessors for failing to meet lease covenants. No matter how cool the routes or the logojets, remember that these airlines are in business to make bucks, and Beauvais hasn't ever been good at that (America West, WestPac, MAX)...
Granted, Peiser (I think that was his name) was actually MUCH worse than Beauvais, but let's not throw glory around where it's not needed.
Cactus739 From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 2379 posts, RR: 34 Reply 24, posted (8 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 1383 times:
Is it just me, or does that "New WP" livery look remarkably like the Southwest Triple Crown One 737? Different colors of course.... but the basic design is very similary I think...
You can't fix stupid.... - Ron White
25 Flashmeister: That's the livery that debuted at the same time as their move to DEN... I never really cared for it.
26 DB777: Here's one more tidbit: WestPac had a new res building constructed on the west side of Colorado Springs close to the Garden of the Gods but they went
27 LTBEWR: In some forums a while back about possible new routes for Southwest, some of us wondered why they never went into COS, before or after WP. At COS, WN
28 DB777: That has always puzzled me too, especially with the growth in ColoSpgs and to the south of Denver. I think WN is going after markets where the profit
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